The Jumbies

Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.

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Tracey Baptiste

Review quotes

“Tracey Baptiste scares up new audiences to learn about jumbies . . . She builds a fairy tale about a brave girl and her adventures among Caribbean creatures.” —Washington Post

“A scary but cheerful tale that draws on Caribbean folk traditions. A great update on the 'town under supernatural attack' story, with a marvelous setting.” —Baltimore Sun

“Endlessly addictive and hypnotic” —Essence Magazine

“Far more than just your average spooky supernatural story, Baptiste uses the underpinnings of a classic folktale to take a closer look at colonization, rebellion, and what it truly takes to share the burden of tolerating the 'other.' Plus there are monsters. Gotta love the monsters.” —Elizabeth Bird, Fuse 8​

“The themes of fairness, justice, and retribution meld into a better than average evil witch story . . . This is a well written tale full of action with enough scary elements to satisfy fans of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm or Laura Amy Schlitz’s Splendors and Glooms.” —School Library Journal

“It’s refreshing to see a fantasy with its roots outside Europe . . . this is a book worth reading simply for its originality.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore that will have readers holding their breath as they fly through its pages. Be forewarned! This tale isn’t some cozy, tropical vacation and it’s not for the weak at heart, oh, no! If you like spooky tales, this is the book for you. Corinne’s story is truly a welcome and refreshing edition to the world of fairytales.” —Valerie R. Lawson

“This girl’s got guts. Even as she wanders the mystery-shrouded forest full of creepy-crawlies from Haitian folklore and faces up to the frightening newcomer to her village, Corrine La Mer brings badassery and wisdom beyond her years. Launching brave kids into the world of the horror novel, and leading them through it with lyrical prose, author Tracey Baptiste knows just how to seize kids’ attention.” —Foreword Reviews